SWAT teams search Santa Ana cyber cafe, and city officials shut it down

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SWAT team members announce themselves and give occupants of a Santa Ana cyber cafe suspected of harboring gang activity an opportunity to surrender themselves for questioning during a raid on Thursday, September 13, 2018. (Photo by Eric Licas, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Police in Santa Ana questioned more than 50 people while serving a search warrant at an unlicensed 24-hour computer gaming lounge in Santa Ana on Thursday, Sept. 13, and arrested least eight, authorities said.

SWAT teams searched the Happy Times Cyber Internet Cafe, at 1117 17th St., at about 3:30 p.m. while police questioned people in an adjacent parking lot.

Authorities had received multiple complaints of suspicious activity from nearby residents, said Cpl. Anthony Bertagna, a spokesman for the Santa Ana Police Department.

Over the past two weeks, he said, officers had arrested parolees and documented gang members in the area of the cafe, five of whom were allegedly in possession of handguns.

Santa Ana police investigate the scene at Happy Times Cyber Internet cafe on the 1100-block of 17th Street in Santa Ana on Thursday, September 13, 2018 after the police raided the cafe that is suspected of being a front for gang activity. The window at right was broken out during the raid. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Jessica Doucet talks to reporters after being questioned and released by Santa Ana Police after they served a search warrant at the Happy Times Cyber InternetÊCafe at 1117 17th Street at about 3:30 p.m. in Santa Ana on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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SWAT team members coordinate the end of a search at a Santa Ana gaming lounge suspected of harboring gang activity that was raided on Thursday, September 13, 2018. (Photo by Eric Licas, Orange County Register/SCNG)

People detained in connection with a Santa Ana police raid at Happy Times Cyber Internet cafe on the 1100-block of 17th Street in Santa Ana on Thursday, September 13, 2018 are handcuffed as they wait to be questioned. The cafe is suspected of being a front for gang activity. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Santa Ana Police release several people after questioning dozens of people after serving a search warrant at the Happy Times Cyber InternetÊCafe at 1117 17th Street at about 3:30 p.m. in Santa Ana on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Santa Ana police question a woman detained in connection with a police raid at Happy Times Cyber Internet cafe on 1100-block of 17th Street in Santa Ana on Thursday, September 13, 2018. The cafe is suspected of being a front for gang activity. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Pedestrians walk past broken out windows after Santa Ana Police served a search warrant at the Happy Times Cyber InternetÊCafe at 1117 17th Street at about 3:30 p.m. in Santa Ana on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Santa Ana police question a man detained in connection with a police raid at Happy Times Cyber Internet cafe on 1100-block of 17th Street in Santa Ana on Thursday, September 13, 2018. The cafe is suspected of being a front for gang activity. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Police question several dozen people after serving a search warrant at the Happy Times Cyber Internet Cafe at 1117 17th Street at about 3:30 p.m. in Santa Ana on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Police question several dozen people after serving a search warrant at the Happy Times Cyber Internet Cafe at 1117 17th Street at about 3:30 p.m. in Santa Ana on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Santa Ana police direct handcuffed detainees on Thursday, September 13, 2018. after serving a warrant at the Happy Time Cyber Internet gaming lounge, which local residents say had become a magnet for suspicious people. (Photo by Eric Licas, Orange County Register/SCNG)

“Things have been crazy ever since that place has been here,” said Daniel Avalos, 22. He said his father’s truck had been stolen about two months ago less than a block from the lounge. “There’s people screaming at I don’t know who or what at two or three in the morning.”

Two recent patrons of the business who happened to be passing by on Thursday, Marcus McBride and Vera Romo, said they had seen people argue over debts there, but they had never witnessed anything violent or seen anyone brandish a gun. According to McBride, the establishment operated about 10 gaming tables where players could earn points and redeem them for cash prizes.

“We’ve lost thousands here,” Romo said.

Officers found several illegal gambling machines inside the cyber cafe, Bertagna said. He said there were large arcade-like machines the size of tables in the middle of the floor of the cafe.

Gambling is not allowed in the city, he said. On top of that, the establishment did not have a license to operate.

City officials red-tagged the building after the raid.

“They are closed for business,” Bertagna said. “(Code-enforcement officials) were shutting off the power.”

Investigators were still trying to find the owners of the building. No one had been detained in connection to operating the business, but eight patrons were arrested for various other violations such as outstanding charges, having drugs or guns or driving stolen cars, authorities said.

In all, 54 people were questioned.

“Cyber cafes have become, quickly, an issue not just for this city but cities across Southern California and California as a whole for criminal activity,” Bertagna told reporters on Thursday.

Eric is based out of the Orange County Register and reports on crime and public safety for the Southern California News Group. He was born in the Philippines, was raised in the San Fernando Valley and has previously written about immigration, poverty and entertainment for Inquirer.net and The Asian Journal. He enjoys photographing concerts and sporting events or jamming on one of his personally customized guitars in his free time. His inspirations include Kurt Vonnegut, Tom Wolfe, Ronnie James Dio and Randy "The Macho Man" Savage.

Alma Fausto is a crime, breaking news and public safety reporter for the Register. She has worked for the Register since 2013. Previously, she lived in New York City while studying at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism where she covered the growing Mexican immigrant population in the city. Alma has also lived and studied in California’s rural and agricultural Central Valley. She’s an Orange County native from Costa Mesa, and in her spare time likes to read, visit libraries and drink good gin.